Red, White and Blue Memories

With its expanded Independence Day Celebration, the Club rekindles the spirit of Fourths of July past.

Lights, camera, fireworks! Each summer, Tokyo’s international community gathers for the Club’s annual Independence Day Celebration.

The festivities have become a cherished tradition, blending patriotic flair, community spirit and family-friendly fun into a full day of vibrant activity. As the Club prepares to mark America’s 249th birthday this month, Members reflect on what they love about the celebration itself and the Club’s creative interpretations of America’s national birthday.

The 2023 edition was a milestone because it was the first to feature a sound and light show with projection mapping. It’s a technique in which 3-D objects are turned into canvases for images or video. Specialized software and projectors “map” imagery onto the surface of anything from a mannequin to a skyscraper.

Last year’s event also left a lasting impression with its reimagined lineup. From a morning fun run to a stunning evening music and light show, the day was a showcase of creativity and tradition. Food trucks and a buffet offered classics like pulled pork burgers, Philly cheesesteaks, candy apples and ice cream. The Club’s signature watermelon-eating contest, its take on a classic Independence Day tradition, sparked laughter and friendly rivalry.

One Member who has a store of memories of Independence Day in the US is Kyle Murphy. Hailing from upstate New York, Murphy is a former US Embassy worker who served in the Vietnam War. He recalls hot dogs, potato salad and fireworks from celebrations in his youth.

Murphy has been attending Independence Day celebrations at the Club since joining in 1992 and says recent Fourths have benefited from the energy of Culture, Community & Entertainment Committee Chair Matthew Tappenden. Murphy especially likes the food trucks, fireworks and games.

“It’s fun to watch the kids do them, especially the dunk tank. I did that when I was young—[both] throwing the ball and being dunked,” says Murphy, who plans to spend this year’s Fourth of July in Hawaii with his daughter’s family, his first Fourth in the States since 1979. “I think it’s good, it’s more interesting for people. I think it’ll grow because word gets around that you’ll have a good time. And the food trucks are probably the biggest factor.”

Culinary delights have always been central to the Club’s Fourth of July offerings, and menus have featured barbecued ribs, brisket, corn on the cob and pecan pie. Food, fireworks and music are part of the reason that Silvia García Blanco and her family will be attending their second Fourth of July at the Club this year. Silvia, her husband Aitor García Merino and their children Rodrigo, 7, and Jimena, 9, are from Spain. For many Club Members (about 76 percent hail from countries other than the United States), the day is a chance to learn about and take part in the rich legacy of America’s founding.

Silvia has never experienced the Fourth in the US, but Aitor spent summers in Rhode Island as a child learning English. He still remembers the parades and traditional celebrations with great fondness, and the Club’s celebration brings some of that spirit back for him. The family appreciates the Club’s blend of tradition and creativity as well as how the event brings people of different backgrounds together in celebration.

“As a Spanish family, we see it as a beautiful opportunity to experience and honor American culture,” says Silvia. “We also think it’s a fantastic opportunity, not only for Americans living abroad to feel at home but also for people who never had the chance to celebrate the Fourth of July in the United States. The Club makes it possible to live that festive spirit in a truly special way.”

For Christopher Cornute, Independence Day brings back memories of barbecuing with his father on the patio in Texas, playing with fireworks at night and going fishing before dawn.

While they usually go to Texas in July, Cornute took his wife Wakako and their children Aiden, 11, and Kailah, 13, to their first Fourth of July at the Club last year so they could get a taste of the tradition in Japan. He agrees with Silvia that the event brings the community together, adding it provides an opportunity to express appreciation to all the Club staff who make such events possible.

“I come from a family of several service members. My mother was a Marine and my grandfather served in the Air Force, so I have a deep respect for those who chose to serve and protect our country,” says Cornute. “The Fourth of July, to me, is really a time to get together with family and community and celebrate togetherness. It also is a time to reflect on the sacrifices that all those who have come before us have made which allow us to enjoy peace and freedom.”

Independence Day Celebration
July 5 | 9am–11pm

Words: Tim Hornyak
Top Image of Silvia García Blanco, Aitor García Merino, and Rodrigo and Jimena García: Kayo Yamawaki
Other Images: Takumaru Suzuki

July 2025